I would look at the Sigma 35mm lens. It outperforms anything nikon, canon, sony, etc. can offer. The 24-105mm would be a good bet given your needs. I would keep an eye out for deals because I have seen it drop around $740 from Big Value Inc. (through eBay, but no canon warranty). Or even less during a canon refurb sale.

You mentioned shooting bottle image photography. What about getting a 100mm F2.8L lens. I see it recommended for product photography. There also are the tilt shift lenses, but those are specialty lenses and are not cheap!

Thanks, will see what it comes down to. I'll be buying in Singapore in a couple of weeks as the prices where I am (Australia) are frankly fraudulent.

I like the 100 2.8 choice ( I had a minolta one on my Sony) but I think for the degree that most people want you can still achieve comparable results with a 50 and crop it in post.

OTOH, why not go in for one of the 70-200 lenses. Canon has a excellent selection of the 70-200s and you could take your pick depending on your budget. 70-200 are extremely important focal lengths and these lenses will not let you down.

Definately on the next to purchase list. I sat next to a friend of my girlfriends at a wedding who was using the 2.8L and it is seriously bokehliscious.

Excellent choice (i.e. 24-105 f/4 L IS & 50 f/1.2 L)If I was in your position (and since you like "creamy bokeh" and "subject isolation"), I'd go with 85 f/1.2 L (instead of the 50 f/1.2 L) as the 85 f/1.2 L has even better subject isolation (personally I feel, I made a mistake of not getting a 85mm prime lens)... but you probably have a reason to get the 50mm ... either way your selection is excellent, as they say "Just Do It"! ... Happy Shopping!

Thanks for the kind words. I want to master the art of 50mm photography but i'll definately map my zoom ranges and if I stray towards that end will definitely look to purchasing.

The 100mm f/2.8L IS is probably a smart choice for product photography. Good for any detail on the bottles. Of course you could just use a 50 and crop in post, with all those pixels to play with it won't really matter how much you crop as long as the lighting is good and the image is sharp (which it will be with that lens!).

I also agree on a 70-200 some time in the future, maybe the 2.8 II version though depends on your needs.

For travel the 24-105L seems to do well, it covers all the usual focal lengths. I wish I had bought that lens with the 5D II kit myself!

I would also try the 85L and 50L and see which you like better. You might find the bokeh of the 85 even nicer than the 50. (Theyre both super expensive so maybe consider the Sigma versions).

Ahh cheers - Yeah hoping my lighting setup is adequate. I did a bottle shot lately that went into a national newspaper using nothing but my lights, my tent and my iPhone (SLR broke). Lighting was good on the shot so imagine when I get this beauty!

If you're after subject isolation, 50mm on full frame is kind of wide (85mm seems like a more logical choice). Since you haven't been doing this very long, why not rent a few lenses to get a better idea of what your taste is ?

hold off buying more lenses for now, shoot with the one prime and zoom for a while and it will become clear what will best supplement your kit.

BTW, did you have any plans to buy a flash ?

I'd rent, but i'm without a body at the moment - and by the time I come back I'm paying almost double Asia prices.. I'm fairly confident the fifty will be the right choice (well, mostly confident now thanks to some positive 85 reviews!)

I did have plans to buy a flash, but no idea where to start.. Anything decent for $2-300?

Also.. While I'm asking - Tripods? What do you recommend. Anything decent for $200? My buddy had a gorilla pod in his backpack which looks like it would be handy (Want to do some long exposures of Maldives where we are headed after Singapore). Obviously the gorilla pod wont suffice for my work shots though, so advice appreciated.

I would check out the manfrotto 055xprob legs and a manfrotto 496RC2 or 498RC2 ball head (only difference is if you shoot panoramas). The 055xprob has the extending center column which is pretty nifty and it is a very stable tripod. Not light though.

I dont use manfrotto legs though because the carbon fiber ones are out of my price range and the aluminum is too heavy for me. The 055xprob legs weigh over 5 pounds alone!

try the Canon 50mm macro... although its light, ugly, focus ring sucks, non USM and just affordable,,,its IQ is better than the 50mm 1.4 1.8 and equals or better than the 1.2L.....oohhohh here come the holla back... but REALLY its on the test charts and its on the images...

practical for macro... although not 1:1 work... affordable... small light...but a monster performer... hands down...

Also.. While I'm asking - Tripods? What do you recommend. Anything decent for $200? My buddy had a gorilla pod in his backpack which looks like it would be handy (Want to do some long exposures of Maldives where we are headed after Singapore). Obviously the gorilla pod wont suffice for my work shots though, so advice appreciated.

While this is not light like the Gorilla Pod but for under $200 you may want to consider this robust Tripod Legs & Ball Head:Manfrotto 190XPROB Pro Aluminum Tripod Legs (weights 1.8 Kg, supports 5KG load)&Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact Ball Head with 200PL-14 QR Plate (weighs 420 gms, supports 6 Kg load)Together (legs & Ball head) cost less than $190 ... if you are willing to spend more than get the Carbon Fiber legs ... might cost you around $100 more. Check these pics to see what the Tripod can do

Also.. While I'm asking - Tripods? What do you recommend. Anything decent for $200? My buddy had a gorilla pod in his backpack which looks like it would be handy (Want to do some long exposures of Maldives where we are headed after Singapore). Obviously the gorilla pod wont suffice for my work shots though, so advice appreciated.

While this is not light like the Gorilla Pod but for under $200 you may want to consider this robust Tripod Legs & Ball Head:Manfrotto 190XPROB Pro Aluminum Tripod Legs (weights 1.8 Kg, supports 5KG load)&Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact Ball Head with 200PL-14 QR Plate (weighs 420 gms, supports 6 Kg load)Together (legs & Ball head) cost less than $190 ... if you are willing to spend more than get the Carbon Fiber legs ... might cost you around $100 more. Check these pics to see what the Tripod can do

Thanks for the awesome response. Have decided on the 190CXPRO3 Carbon =)

Also.. While I'm asking - Tripods? What do you recommend. Anything decent for $200? My buddy had a gorilla pod in his backpack which looks like it would be handy (Want to do some long exposures of Maldives where we are headed after Singapore). Obviously the gorilla pod wont suffice for my work shots though, so advice appreciated.

While this is not light like the Gorilla Pod but for under $200 you may want to consider this robust Tripod Legs & Ball Head:Manfrotto 190XPROB Pro Aluminum Tripod Legs (weights 1.8 Kg, supports 5KG load)&Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact Ball Head with 200PL-14 QR Plate (weighs 420 gms, supports 6 Kg load)Together (legs & Ball head) cost less than $190 ... if you are willing to spend more than get the Carbon Fiber legs ... might cost you around $100 more. Check these pics to see what the Tripod can do

Thanks for the awesome response. Have decided on the 190CXPRO3 Carbon =)

Your are welcome ... Happy Shopping ... one of the many nicest things about photography

As others have said, by all means get the 24-105, and get it as the kit lens for your 5DIII, whereupon the lens becomes a remarkable bargain. (And while it's nice to have faster primes and even zooms in low light, you'll be amazed at how well it performs in low light on a FF camera.)

As for the rest, what focal lengths do you find yourself preferring on your current Sony? Plus, at the risk of insulting you with the obvious, are you taking into account the difference it will make on focal length moving from your Sony, which I believe is a crop-sensor DSLR, to a FF camera? That 50mm you (think you) want will give you a focal length that looks like c. 33mm on your Sony; to get the 50 you're familiar with, you'll need 75mm. To get the equivalent of a 100mm macro on your Sony you'll need a 150mm macro; and so on. Moreover, your Sony has IS built into the camera, no? If you need IS, you'll have to look for lenses that have it.

As for starting with just two lenses, my taste may be nothing like yours, but I would get the 24-105 and, if you want shallow focus/isolation/smooth bokeh, get the 135L - it doesn't overlap with the zoom and, although it's not as fast as the 50 or 85 Ls, thanks to its greater focal length it provides comparable isolation, superlative background smoothness, and generally fantastic image quality. If, as I would, you want more reach, consider one of the 70-200 IS Ls or the 70-300 IS L (they're all great performers) or, if you want to minimize overlap, the 100-400L. At their longer ends they can provide similar portrait effects (isolation, blur etc.); you'll just have to stand farther away and make sure the background isn't too close....

Also.. While I'm asking - Tripods? What do you recommend. Anything decent for $200? My buddy had a gorilla pod in his backpack which looks like it would be handy (Want to do some long exposures of Maldives where we are headed after Singapore). Obviously the gorilla pod wont suffice for my work shots though, so advice appreciated.

While this is not light like the Gorilla Pod but for under $200 you may want to consider this robust Tripod Legs & Ball Head:Manfrotto 190XPROB Pro Aluminum Tripod Legs (weights 1.8 Kg, supports 5KG load)&Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact Ball Head with 200PL-14 QR Plate (weighs 420 gms, supports 6 Kg load)Together (legs & Ball head) cost less than $190 ... if you are willing to spend more than get the Carbon Fiber legs ... might cost you around $100 more. Check these pics to see what the Tripod can do

This is the combo I have and it's great. I don't see any reason to upgrade any time soon because it's light enough and it's plenty durable so it should last quite a while.

Also, what about Mic's? I like the portable ones that digitalrev have, but are there any good stereo ones that hook onto the top?

Also, in dim-lit situations (ie birthdays) if shooting with a fast lens (such as 1.2) can you get by without a flash?

Finally, bag/satchel recs?

Gracias.

Stef

You might not need a flash with a fast prime but getting the focus just right at f/1.2 will be a difficult task. You'll prob find around f/2 to be a decent trade-off with enough dof to negate any focus errors. Just up the ISO about one or two stops to compensate. If that means using too high an ISO than you would like then - Use a flash for fill.

Bags - I like Kata bags, just personal pref. depends what size and requirements etc. crumpler also make nice satchel type bags. Some lowepro stuff is ok too. I use a fastpack 200 for day trips, it has a nice extra compartment for your shopping etc.

He probably means the 100L which is pretty much a V2 of the original 100mm macro except much better...

I would probably suggest the Sigma 50 f/1.4 and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 II. If you can afford the 85 f/1.2 II then take that because it's a jawdropping piece of glass!

Another option would be the 85 II and the >600$ Canon 70-200 f/4 lens. That's a great piece of glass as well, razor sharp and inexpensive but the weight and range are quite attactive. Not an f/2.8 lens but capable of great bokeh as well.

There are many more lens combos I could name but for what your looking that's my 2 cents ^^